The Latest: Missouri Democratic lawmakers slam abortion bill

Updated
5:35 am CDT, Saturday, May 18, 2019

Protesters march through the halls of the Missouri Capitol outside the House chamber on Friday, May 17, 2019, in Jefferson City, Missouri, in opposition to legislation prohibiting abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy. Missouri's Republican-led Legislature has passed a sweeping bill to ban abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy, and Republican Gov. Mike Parson is expected to sign it. The House approved the measure Friday May 17, 2019. less

Protesters march through the halls of the Missouri Capitol outside the House chamber on Friday, May 17, 2019, in Jefferson City, Missouri, in opposition to legislation prohibiting abortions at eight weeks of ... more

Photo: David A. Lieb, AP

Photo: David A. Lieb, AP

Image
1of/5

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 5

Protesters march through the halls of the Missouri Capitol outside the House chamber on Friday, May 17, 2019, in Jefferson City, Missouri, in opposition to legislation prohibiting abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy. Missouri's Republican-led Legislature has passed a sweeping bill to ban abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy, and Republican Gov. Mike Parson is expected to sign it. The House approved the measure Friday May 17, 2019. less

Protesters march through the halls of the Missouri Capitol outside the House chamber on Friday, May 17, 2019, in Jefferson City, Missouri, in opposition to legislation prohibiting abortions at eight weeks of ... more

Missouri Democratic lawmakers are slamming a bill to ban abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade says there's no liberty in Missouri when government strips women of control of their own bodies. She says it's "shameful" and "scary" that there are no exceptions for rape or incest, only for medical emergencies.

Democratic Sen. Jill Schupp says she believes the measure goes against the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. But she says she expects parts of the wide-ranging bill to be upheld.

___

6:20 p.m.

The Missouri Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says it strongly opposes the threat of criminal penalties for delivering "evidence based, necessary health care."

Missouri legislators on Friday approved a swath of restrictions on abortions that would punish doctors with up to 15 years in prison if they provide the procedure from the eighth week of pregnancy onward.

The doctors said in a statement that the legislation would force them to decide between their patients' needs and facing criminal proceedings.

It urged the state government to allow them to practice medicine freely and without the threat of criminal punishment.

The measure would not punish the pregnant woman.

___

2:30 p.m.

A Missouri state lawmaker says he misspoke on the House floor when he referred to "consensual rapes" during a highly charged debate on a bill to ban abortions at eight weeks, including in cases of rape and incest.

Republican Rep. Barry Hovis said in the chamber Friday that most of the sexual assaults he handled before retiring from law enforcement weren't strangers "jumping out of the bushes" but instead "date rapes or consensual rapes."

Abortion-rights supporters who attended the debate hissed in response.

Hovis, of Missouri's southeastern Bootheel region, told the Associated Press he had meant to say "date rapes or consensual or rape." When pressed on whether that made sense in the context of the rest of his sentence, he said he believes there is no such thing as "consensual rape."

___

1:20 p.m.

A Missouri state lawmaker was met with hisses when he used the phrase "consensual rape" during a highly charged House debate on a bill that would ban abortions at eight weeks, including in cases of rape and incest.

Republican Rep. Barry Hovis, of Cape Girardeau, said in the chamber Friday that most of the sexual assaults he handled before retiring from law enforcement weren't strangers "jumping out of the bushes" but instead "date rapes or consensual rapes."

Abortion-rights supporters who attended the debate hissed in response.

St. Louis-area Democratic Rep. Raychel Proudie later assured the House that "there is no such thing as consensual rape."

Hovis' office hasn't returned a message seeking comment.

Lawmakers passed the bill 110-44.

The comment was reminiscent of former Rep. Todd Akin, who lost the state's U.S. Senate race in 2012 after saying women's bodies can prevent pregnancy in cases of "legitimate rape."

____

12:45 p.m.

Protesters against a Missouri bill banning abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy disrupted debate and marched through the halls of the state Capitol.

Dozens of abortion-rights supporters were told to leave the House visitors' galleries Friday after interrupting debate with chants of "when you lie, people die" and "women's rights are human rights."

They then marched through the halls, stopping to chant outside Gov. Mike Parson's office before circling around the House chamber.

They chanted "Vote no, now" as the Republican-led House was passing the legislation, then switched to chants of "shame, shame, shame."

The legislation now goes to Parson, a Republican, who is expected to sign it into law.

___

12:05 p.m.

Missouri's Republican-led Legislature has approved a ban on abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy, and GOP Gov. Mike Parson is expected to sign it.

House lawmakers gave the sweeping abortion bill final approval Friday.

The proposed ban allows exceptions only in medical emergencies, not cases of rape or incest.

The Missouri legislation comes after Alabama's governor signed a bill Wednesday making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases.

Republican-led legislatures around the U.S. are imposing new abortion restrictions, hoping more conservative justices will overturn the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion.

Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia have approved bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy.

___

11:30 p.m. Thursday

Missouri's Republican-led House is expected to pass a bill to ban abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy and the state's GOP governor is likely to sign it.

The GOP-led House is set to debate the sweeping abortion bill Friday in the final hours of the 2019 session.

The proposed ban allows exceptions only in medical emergencies, not cases of rape or incest.

The Missouri legislation comes after Alabama's governor signed a bill Wednesday making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases.

Republican-led legislatures around the U.S. are imposing new restrictions, hoping more conservative justices will overturn the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion.

Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia approved bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur in about the sixth week of pregnancy.